'Glee' and 'Modern Family': Our dream TV crossover

Image Credit: Bob D’Amico/ABC; Chris Cuffaro/FoxNow that Glee has finally returned, we can all breathe a little easier. With so much talk about the show’s upcoming guest stars (Idina Menzel! Neil Patrick Harris! Molly Shannon!), I started thinking about who I would love to see spontaneously break out in the halls of McKinley High. And then it came to me: the entire cast of Modern Family! Now that the shows are no longer competing for my attention on Wednesday nights, I can devote equal amounts of attention to each one. But what I think I’d enjoy even more than two new episodes from both shows, is one mega-serving of Lima losers meets dysfunctional family in a Glee – Modern Family crossover episode. Wouldn’t that blow your pop culture mind?

Yes, they’re on different networks (Fox and ABC, respectively), so it’s highly unlikely that this will happen. But a girl can dream. Why don’t the Glee kids take a trip to sunny California? If New Directions makes it to Nationals, it’s possible those could take place in Los Angeles. Sue could sell her condo in Boca and look to make her coaching mark on the West Coast. She’ll need a house, so of course she’ll meet with real estate mogul Phil Dunphy to set her up with a dope pad.

Though this may be pure fantasy, it’s not totally unreasonable to ask the MF cast to tackle some musical numbers (if anything, can there at least be a Modern Family musical episode?). Thanks to a tip from Eric Stonestreet (Cameron) on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last night, I learned that Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Mitchell) is a huge “Broadway guy.” He originated the role of Leaf Coneybear in the Tony Award-winning musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and he’s also currently preparing for a role in this summer’s Public Theater production of The Merchant of Venice (with Jesse L. Martin, and a little guy named Al Pacino. Not bad for a TV actor, huh?). Stonestreet also revealed that he plays the drums and Ferguson is a big Barbara Streisand fan. After further investigation, I found that Sofia Vergara (Gloria) played Mama Morton in Chicago last year, Julie Bowen (Claire) was in productions like Guys and Dolls while at Brown University, and Ty Burrell (Phil) has a Shakespearean background, including a role in Macbeth on Broadway in 2000. Perfection!

With all of this natural musical theater and stage experience, the writers should have no problem making the characters’ foray into song fit in naturally with their storylines…

– Drama queens Cameron and Rachel could share the stage for an epic Barbara Streisand duet.

– Mitchell loves Broadway. He grew up on West Side Story (where he learned his fighting skills) and had a pet bird named Flyza Minnelli. He and sister Claire are no strangers to the stage, performing as the figure skating team “Fire & Nice” as kids, so they’d be fully prepared to wear any and all New Directions’ costumes.

– Phil was a cheerleader in college, so he can help out with Cheerios practice (much to Sue’s dismay…or enjoyment? Who knows.), choreography for New Directions, or just jam with Mr. Schuester on a cheesy ’90s rap song — too bad he missed his chance with “Bust a Move.”

– Haley will fit in nicely with the Mean Girls Santana and Brittany (and probably have deep, philosophical conversations with the latter).

– Her boyfriend Dylan is the show’s only accomplished musician, with the painfully unforgettable song “In the Moonlight (Do Me).” He and Puck can collaborate on a love song dedicated solely to cougars.

– Manny will jump at the chance to perform a classic (and anything ridiculously age-inappropriate) from the likes of Frank Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald. He may also fall for Emma and profess his love through song.

– Sue and Jay can duke it out in the most politically incorrect way possible, then go out swing dancing (in matching zoot suits).

But enough of my fantasizing. Even though it’s hypothetical, it’s safe to say it would be the best hour of television EVER…right?!

Your turn: What tops your list of dream TV crossover episodes?

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